Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-24

conviction that opium smoking Is fraud
and humbug. The next day the bad
taste in the mouth develops into some
thing like the favor OF old rags. and the
experimenter is conscious OF desire and
craving for something without knowing
Just what it is. Ii he gets 8 smell OF
opium smoke when in this condition he
is seized with the desire for it that shows
that to be the one thing that he has been
wanting. He smokes and the sensations
that have been described become known
to him. He is soon 'sfend," and like
all "hends," Unsuitable. The more ne
smokes the more he wants.
Sergeant Price, who was with Inspec-
tor Williams in the famous old Twenty
ninth precinct as detective, subscribes
to Captain McCullsgh's theory that these
Joints are no longer to be found; but he
also says that most of the Chinese laun-
dries are joints, and that the laundrymen
not only smoke among themselves, but
have few white friends to whom they
furnish facilities for the enjoyment.
"But," adds the sergeant, 81 here is no
law against smoking opium, and no one
could buy any of one of these fellows IN
less he was known to be an all right
fend.'"
Captain Reilly of the Thirteenth street
station Gays there are no joints. Dig or
little, fashionable or otherwise. in the
precinct. AS in the Thirty-siXtn street
case, one could only be run sh0rr tims
before attracting the attention Il Tie
police, and 80 leading to it's des5 uction.
The use of the drug in the 70, ms that
it is prepared for medicine is the direc-
ton in which its harmfulness is inc :eas-
ing. An experienced druggist told Sun
reporter yesterday that every retailer had
customers among the opium eaters. They
have to identify themselves as 6abltual
users of the drug, or present prescrip,
ton from physician VIII n they
move or go to new sLruggist.
But when they are known they
can get all the opium they are ahle to pay
for. This druggist had one Gus oner-an
old lady, with small, fixed income, who
regularly takes eight grains OF morphine
q day in two grain doses. He thinks that
if she could afford it her limit would be
not less than twice eight grains. Another
regular customer is young man whose
daily ration is about five grains. He
shows the effect of it in breaking out
of the skin that seems to extend over his
whole body. Another woman customer
is infatuated with paregoric, and buys
and drinks Just as much az she can afford
of 1t every day. A pint is frequently the
measure of her pecuniary ability, il not OF
her appetite. This druggist also had the
custom of an actress who regularly every
two weeks bought 500 one-quarter grain
pills of morphine. When it is remem-
bered that one-quarter of grain is q
maximum dose, the enormous doses of
these opium eaters will be understood
and appreciated. He says that it Is i'm
possible to get any idea of the extent OF
the practice by CANVASS emoDg the re-
tail druggists. Even If they answered
the questions with the utmost frankness
there would be no certainty as to the &C
curacy of the results. A customer who
regularly comes to drug store for quite
q moderate quantity OF the drug may be
visiting other stores with the same regu-
lsrity, and the testimony OF any OF these
druggists as to his standing as "fend"
would be utterly misleading. His expert
ence was that the victims of the habit
were most numerous among professional
people, actors and actresses and gam
blers and sports. They are usually in
telligent and educated persons, rather
above the average of ability and common
sense on every point except that of the
opium taking. He was rather inclined
to think, as were most of the retailers
talked to that the practice was on the
increase.
Among the physicians whose views
mond. He said without hesitation that
kbo Of offp arf in
creasing. The use of whisky is becom-
ing less common, and the place it occu-
pied as stimulant is taken by beer and
by opium. The use of the latter is es-
pecially fostered by prohibition. 1t is that
which is responsible for the increase in
the use of the drug in this COM
munity. Not prohibition laws, of course,
but the presence Of prohlbitive circum-
stances. The man or woman who can
not 60 into barroom or keep whisky on
hand and use it without discovery can
use opium or Indian hemp or something
like that for a long time without detec-
ton. Unlike whisky, it does not excite
to frenzies of ugliness, but is even more
destructive to morals. The opium eater
will stop at no deceit, scarcely hesitate
at any crime to possess himself of the
drug, for the lack of which his stomach
is torn with pain and his whole being is
unhinged. The most pronounced effect
before the breaking up of the system by
the stuff is the utter destruction of the
will power of the patient. No cure is
possible that does not include restraint
in the treatment.
DR.. Hammond thought that the great
amount of superficial knowledge Of the
remedies and their effects was one cause
OF the spread of the opium habit. He
thought it would be well for physicians
to make up the medicines they prescribe
without letting the patient know what
they were composed Of. He would then
not know what caused the effect in the
dose, and would not be i'll position to
dose himself or make experiments. The
use of the hypodermic syringe, he also
thought, should never be in the sight of
the patient, nor should the physician
teach the use of it to patients.
A Thrifty Gang.
NEW YORK, Oct. 2o-Frarz Mikhof, a